In this blog I present the results of my research into the landowning families of the British Isles and the country houses which they owned. Comments, especially in the form of corrections, additional information or new illustrations, are very welcome. Please use the Contact Form in the right hand side bar to contact me privately or the comments facility at the bottom of the page to make a public comment.

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Thursday, 16 May 2013

(40) The Adderley families and the Adderleys of Blake Hall

In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries there were a number of prominent families in the English Midlands of the surname Adderley, who ultimately all trace their descent from Thomas Adderley (d.
1538) who settled at Blake Hall in Moreland (Staffs) in the early 16th century. He had five sons and three daughters, of whom the first, third and fourth sons founded lasting landed dynasties, as shown in the diagram below.

The relationships between the branches of the Adderley family

His eldest son, Thomas, inherited Blake Hall and his descendants remained there until the 18th century. His third son, Ralph (d. 1595) bought Coton Hall at Coton-under-Needwood (Staffs) and himself had several sons; the eldest inherited Coton Hall and founded a line (later Broughton-Adderley) which continued as significant landowners in Staffordshire at Coton Hall, Tunstall Hall and elsewhere into the 20th century. Ralph's fourth son, another Ralph, lived at Alrewas, but his son, Sir Charles Adderley (1610-82), bought Hams Hall in Warwickshire from the Ferrers family and founded what became the most prominent branch of the family; as Barons Norton they are still seated at Fillongley Hall in Warwickshire. Finally, Thomas' fourth son, Humphrey Adderley (1512-98), bought Weddington Hall in Warwickshire, which passed to his descendants until the late 18th century. The rest of this post will concern the senior line, the Adderleys of Blake Hall; subsequent posts will address the Adderleys of Hams Hall, the Adderleys of Weddington, and the Broughton-Adderleys of Coton Hall.Thomas Adderley (d. 1598) bequeathed the Blackhaugh or Blakehall estate to his eldest son,
another Thomas. It passed in direct
succession through the male line to Samuel Adderley (d. 1716), who married
three times but failed to produce a surviving heir. Following his death the property passed to
his sisters, Jane Mountford and Magdalen Bamford, and in 1753 was divided by
their descendants. Blakehall, Moreland, Staffordshire

The Ordnance Survey 25" map of 1890 showing the farm on the site of Blake Hall at that time.

Nothing is known of
the house at Blakehall, which seems to have passed out of gentry use in the early 18th century, following the death of Samuel Adderley, and subsequently became a farmhouse. It has been demolished. There was
extensive mining activity in the area in the 18th and 19th centuries and the site is now marked by the BlakeHall fishing lakes.The Adderleys of BlakehallThomas Adderley (d. 1538) of Blakehall. Son of Henry Adderley; probably born c.1475. He married Joan, daughter of John Thirkill of Smallwood (Cheshire), and had issue:(1) Thomas Adderley (d. c.1597) of Blakehall(q.v.);(2) John Adderley (d. 1583) of Mickleover (Derbys), m. Elene, widow of Mr. Gilbert; died without issue; will proved in PCC 18 January 1583/4;(3) Ralph Adderley (d. 1598) of Coton Hall; m.1 10 April 1554, Margaret, daughter of Thomas Bagot of Blithfield and m.2, Felicia, daughter of Henry Milward of Doveridge and had issue by both marriages; died 20 April 1598; buried at Hanbury (Staffs);(4) Humphrey Adderley (1511/12-98) of Weddington Hall; Master of the Wardrobe to four monarchs from Henry VIII to Elizabeth I; m.1 Anne North and m.2, 1581 Elizabeth (who m.2, Sir Richard Norton of Rotherfield), daughter of Richard Capel, and had issue by both marriages;(5) George Adderley (d. 1599), who died in France; he apparently had a son Gabriel, who died between 1583 and 1597;(6) Joan Adderley, m. Robert Smith of Branston;(7) Elizabeth Adderley, m. William Peverell;(8) Alice Adderley, m. John Conyers of Yorkshire.He purchased the Blackhaugh alias Blakehall estate in Moreland (Staffs) and settled there.He died in 1538, and his will was proved at Lichfield, 15 January 1538/9.Thomas Adderley (d. c.1597) of Blakehall. Eldest son of Thomas Adderley (d. 1538); born about 1500-05. He married Joan, daughter of Robert Warner of Dilhorne (Staffs) and had issue:(1) Henry Adderley (fl. 1614-29) of Blakehall (q.v.);(2) Richard Adderley;(3) Jane Adderley (d. 1628/9), m.1 William Copwood and ?m.2 ?Robert Lawton of Woolstanton (Staffs);(4) Elizabeth Adderley, m. ?Richard Hussey (fl. 1571).He inherited the Blakehall estate from his father in 1538.He died in about 1597.Henry Adderley (fl. 1614-29) of Blakehall. Elder son of Thomas Adderley (d. c.1597) and his wife Joan, daughter of Robert Warner of Dilhorne (Staffs); born about 1540. He married Joan, daughter and heir of Ralph Tunstall of Tunstall (Staffs) and had issue:(1) Ralph Adderley of Blakehall (d. 1663) (q.v.);(2) Alice Adderley, m. Edward Thorneycroft of Thorneycroft (Cheshire);(3) Margaret Adderley, m. Humphrey Berkyn or Batkyn of Tearshall (not identified);(4) William Adderley;(5) Thomas Adderley;(6) John Adderley;(7) Elizabeth Adderley.He inherited the Blakehall estate from his father.He died at an unknown date, after 1629.Ralph Adderley (d. 1663) of Blakehall. Eldest son of Henry Adderley (fl. 1614) and his wife Joan, daughter and heir of Ralph Tunstall of Tunstall (Staffs), born about 1569. Educated as a private pupil not affiliated to a college at Oxford University (matriculated 1585). He may have been the Ralph Adderley who was a member of the County Committee for Staffordshire in 1643. He married Elizabeth [surname unknown] and had issue:(1) Henry Adderley (b. c.1612) (q.v.);(2) Ralph Adderley (fl. 1642); married Elizabeth [surname unknown] and had issue; possibly the man of this name buried at Church Eaton (Staffs), 4 May 1684 (although this could also be his son of the same name;(3) William Adderley of Bromshull (Staffs), m.1 Ellen Morley of Yorkshire and had issue and m.2 Sarah Hatfield of Derbyshire;(4) Elizabeth Adderley, m. Samuel Lathropp of Bromshull (Staffs).He inherited the Blakehall estate from his father after 1614.He died in April 1663.Henry Adderley (b. c.1612). Eldest son of Ralph Adderley (d. 1663) and his wife Margaret or Mary, daughter of Edward Morton; born about 1612. He married Mary, daughter of Nicholas Lathropp of Bromshull (Staffs) and had issue:(1) Samuel Adderley (b. c.1641/2) (q.v.);(2) William Adderley (b. c.1644) of Cheadle, m. Jane, daughter of Adam Colclough of Delph House (Staffs) and widow of Richard Aston, son of John Aston of Milwich (Staffs)(3) Mary Adderley.He died in the lifetime of his father, before 1663.Samuel Adderley (b. c.1641/2) of Blakehall. Eldest surviving son of Henry Adderley (b. c.1612) and his wife Mary, daughter of Nicholas Lathropp of Bromshull (Staffs), born about 1641/2. He married Catherine, daughter of Thomas Colclough of Delph House (Staffs) and had issue:(1) Samuel Adderley (d. 1716) (q.v.);(2) Henry Adderley (b. c.1666);(3) Ralph Adderley;(4) Thomas Adderley;(5) William Adderley;(6) Benjamin Adderley;(7) Jane Adderley, m. Mr. Mountford;(8) Magdalen Adderley, m. Mr. Bamford.He inherited the Blakehall estate from his grandfather in 1663.His date of death is unknown, perhaps c.1680?Samuel Adderley (d. 1716) of Blakehall. Eldest son of Samuel Adderley (b. c.1641/2) and his wife Catherine Colclough; born c.1665. He married first, 1689/90, Elizabeth, daughter of William Sneyd of The Birches, second, 22 July 1713, Anne (1689-1714), daughter of Edward Thornecroft of Thornecroft and third, 8 September 1715, Anne (b. 1682) (who m.2, Caesar Colclough of Delphouse (Staffs) and had issue), daughter of Arden Adderley of Hams Hall and had issue:(2.1) Samuel Adderley (b. 1714), who died young.He inherited the Blakehall estate from his father. At his death the estate passed to his sisters, Jane Mountford and Magdalen Bamford.He died 3 June 1716, without surviving issue.SourcesH.S. Glazebrook, The heraldic visitations of Staffordshire, 1663-64, 1885; http://www.stirnet.com/genie/data/british/aa/adderley1.php.Where are their papers?Adderley family of Blakehall: no significant archive is known to survive.Revision and acknowledgementsThis post was first published 16 May 2013 and was updated 10 February 2018. I am grateful to Thomas Bonnett for pointing out an error.